READING FOR DETAILS

(DẠNG ĐỌC ĐỂ TRẢ LỜI CÁC CÂU HỎI VỀ CÁC CHI TIẾT TRONG BÀI ĐỌC)
PASSAGE 1: Read an article about parental education.
If parents bring up (nuôi nấng, nuôi dưỡng) a child with the only aim of turning the child into a
genius (thiên tài), they will cause a disaster (gây ra một thảm họa). Unrealistic parental hopes can cause
great damage to children. However, if parents are not too unrealistic about what they expect their children
to do, but are ambitious in a sensible way, the child may succeed in doing very well – especially if the
parents are very supportive of their child.
Michael Collins is very lucky. He is crazy about music, and his parents help him a lot by taking him
to concerts and arranging private piano and violin lessons for him. They even drive him 50 kilometers twice
a week for violin lessons. Michael’s mother knows very little about music, but his father plays the trumpet
in a large orchestra. However, he never makes Michael enter music competitions if he is unwilling (chưa
sẵn sàng).
Winston Smith, Michael’s friend, however, is not so lucky. Both his parents are successful
musicians, and they set a too high standard for Winston. They want their son to be as successful as they are
and so they enter him for every piano competition held. They are very unhappy when he does not win.
Winston is always afraid that he will disappoint his parents and now he always seems quiet and unhappy.
KEY: 1.C 2. B 3. B 4. C 5. B
1. Parents’ ambition for their children is not wrong if they ______
A. themselves have been very successful.
B. arrange private lessons for their children.
C. understand and help their children in a right way.
D. they set a too high standard for their children.
2. Michael Collins is fortunate in that ______
A. his father is a musician.
B. his parents help him in a sensible way.
C. his mother knows little about music.
D. his parents take him to concerts
3. All of the following people are musical EXCEPT _____
A. Michael C. Winston’s mother
B. Michael’s mother D. Michael’s father
4. Winston’s parents push their son so much and he ______
A. has won a lot of piano competitions.
B. has become a good musician.
C. is worried about letting them down. (let someone down: làm ai đó thất vọng)
D. does not win.
5. The two examples of Michael and Winston in the passage illustrate the principle that ______
A. successful parents always have intelligent children.
B. parents should let the child develop in the way he wants.
C. parents should spend more money on the child’s education.
D. Parents shouldn’t turn the child into a genius.

PASSAGE 2:
SMART EXERCISE
Are you preparing for a big test? If so, you may want to go play some basketball in between hitting
the books. Based on information they have collected over the years, researchers have seen an apparent
connection between exercise and brain development. Judy Cameron, a researcher at Oregon Health and
Science University, studies brain development. According to her research, it seems that exercise can make
blood vessels, including those in the brain, stronger and more fully developed. Cameron claims this allows

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people who exercise to concentrate better. She says, “While we already know that exercise is good for the
heart, exercise can literally cause physical changes in the brain.”
The effects of exercise on brain development can even be seen in babies. Babies who do things that
require a lot of movement and physical activity show greater brain development than babies who are less
physically active. With babies, even a little movement can show big results. Margaret Barnes, a
pediatrician, believes in the importance of exercise. She thinks that many learning disabilities children have
in elementary school or high school can be traced back to a lack of movement as babies. “Babies need
movement that stimulates their five senses,” says Barnes. “They need to establish a connection between
motion and memory. In this way, as they get older, children will begin to associate physical activity with
higher learning.”
The benefits of exercise on the brain are not just for babies. Older people can beef up their brains by
working out as well. Researchers at Cornell University studied a group of seniors ranging in age from
seventy to seventy-nine. Their study showed a short-term memory increase of up to forty percent after
exercising just three hours a week. The exercise does not have to be very difficult, but it does have to
increase the heart rate. Also, just like the motion for infants, exercise for older people should involve some
complexity. Learning some new skills or motions, such as with yoga or tai-chi, helps open up memory
paths in the brain that may not have been used for a long time. For most people, any type of physical
activity that increases the heart rate is helpful. The main goal is to increase the brain’s flow of blood. Your
brain can benefit from as little as two to three hours of exercise a week.
KEY
1. D 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. B
Question 1. According to the reading, what is the connection between exercise and brain development?
A. Exercise makes us less intelligent.
B. The brain needs special mental exercise.
C. The more exercise, the bigger the brain.
D. Physical exercise helps us think better.
Question 2. The minimum amount of exercise required to gain any benefit is ______.
A. Two hours per week B. Forty hours per week
C. Three hours per day D. Forty hours per month
MINIMUM: TỐI THIỂU MAXIMUM: TỐI ĐA
Question 3. Why is yoga recommended for seniors?
A. It is easy on joints. B. It does not increase the heart rate.
C. It can be done in groups. D. It includes learning new motions.
Question 4. What type of patient does a pediatrician probably treat?
A. Poor people B. Children
C. Animals D. Old people
Question 5. What is the main idea of this reading?
A. How to exercise B. How exercise helps the brain
C. How to get good scores on a test D. How the brain can change

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